Green Paper on the Safety of Tourism Accommodation Services
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SG-2014-30094-00-00-EN-TRA-00 (SV) Opinion of the Committee on Defence 2014/15:FöU2 Green Paper on the safety of tourism accommodation services Summary In this Opinion, the Committee comments on the European Commission’s Green Paper on the safety of tourism accommodation services (COM(2014) 464 final). The Government Offices’ explanatory memorandum on the Green Paper on the safety of tourism accommodation services (2013/14:FPM112) has been used in order to obtain information. The Committee welcomes cooperation at EU level in the field of accident protection, on the condition that the principle of subsidiarity and national responsibilities in the field are observed. The Committee’s view is that, in the light of the current division of responsibilities and the economic framework that applies, work in the field of accident protection should be undertaken in parallel with other social development and should be based to a greater extent on individuals’ assumptions and needs in terms of protection. It is also important to ensure that effective work is carried out as part of all socially important activities. -1- SG-2014-30094-00-00-EN-TRA-00 (SV) Contents Summary .................................................................................................................................... 1 Contents ...................................................................................................................................... 2 The Committee’s proposal for a Parliament decision ................................................................ 3 Overview of the issue ................................................................................................................. 4 The issue and its preparation ................................................................................................. 4 Main contents of the Green Paper ......................................................................................... 4 Summary of the Government Offices’ explanatory memorandum ....................................... 6 Examination by the Committee .................................................................................................. 7 Scope ..................................................................................................................................... 7 Previous discussions .............................................................................................................. 7 Subsidiarity check ................................................................................................................. 8 Position of the Committee ..................................................................................................... 8 Annex List of documents examined .................................................................................................... 10 -2- SG-2014-30094-00-00-EN-TRA-00 (SV) The Committee’s proposal for a Parliament decision Safety of tourism accommodation services Parliament presents the opinion for discussion. Stockholm, 4 November 2014 On behalf of the Committee on Defence Allan Widman The following members participated in the decision: Allan Widman (Liberal Party), Åsa Lindestam (Social Democratic Party), Hans Wallmark (Moderate Party), Peter Jeppsson (Social Democratic Party), Johan Forssell (Moderate Party), Alexandra Völker (Social Democratic Party), Lena Asplund (Moderate Party), Daniel Bäckström (Centre Party), Jakop Dalunde (Green Party), Jan R Andersson (Moderate Party), Paula Holmqvist (Social Democratic Party), Roger Richtoff (Sweden Democrats), Stig Henriksson (Left Party), Mattias Ottosson (Social Democratic Party) and Jeff Ahl (Sweden Democrats). -3- SG-2014-30094-00-00-EN-TRA-00 (SV) Overview of the issue The issue and its preparation On 30 September 2014, in accordance with Chapter 10, Section 3 of the Parliament Act (riksdagsordning), the Chamber referred the European Commission’s Green Paper on the safety of tourism accommodation services (COM(2014) 464 final) to the Committee on Defence for examination and a written opinion. The Commission has invited stakeholders to present their opinions on the issues covered in the Green Paper by 30 November 2014. The Government Offices’ explanatory memorandum on the Green Paper on the safety of tourism accommodation services (2013/14:FPM112) was notified to the Chamber on 29 September 2014. Main contents of the Green Paper To maintain and reinforce Europe’s leading position in tourism in the world, in 2010 the Commission adopted a Communication laying down a comprehensive strategy to boost the competitiveness of the sector. The safety of tourism accommodation features as one of the actions in this Communication. In the Commission’s view, adequate and efficient safety levels can enhance consumers’ confidence and boost growth by creating a favourable environment for enterprises and for cooperation among Member States and allowing for higher competitiveness of the tourism sector. The purpose of the Green Paper is to launch a public consultation on the safety of tourism accommodation services, i.e. where short-term or short-stay accommodation services are provided against payment and classified as hotels and similar accommodation, holiday and other short-stay accommodation, and camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks. The Commission wishes to gather input from all relevant parties involved in the issue of tourism accommodation services with the aim of evaluating whether the issues outlined below are sufficiently and effectively addressed, whether there is evidence of new risks and whether the existing tools are adequate. The Green Paper furthers asks about the level at which action would be most effective to usefully contribute to effective levels of safety for consumers. Help is also sought in quantifying these issues. Since the Commission aims to foster the competitiveness of the tourism sector by creating a favourable environment for enterprises and for cooperation among Member States, and considers that the sustainability of European tourism relies on the quality of the tourist experience and by extension on its safety, the Green Paper intends to identify options for furthering confidence building both for enterprises and consumers. The Green Paper implies neither a pre-determined course of action nor the need for new measures at EU level as a result of the consultation. Tourists’ concerns about safety, among other things, have been regularly monitored every year since 2008 through Eurobarometer surveys, also with emphasis on hotel safety and fire safety. The annual surveys consistently confirmed that safety is never a concern for European tourists (replies ranked between 0 % and 1 %). Yet accidents can occasionally occur, affecting directly the operators concerned, but also indirectly the reputation of the relevant destination with additional negative impacts on other operators as a consequence. Although the safety of tourism accommodation services is the competence of Member States, the presence of such a strong cross-border dimension suggests that there should be a reflection on the quality and safety levels of these services across Member States. This, -4- SG-2014-30094-00-00-EN-TRA-00 (SV) together with the indications of the 2003 Commission report on the Safety of Services for Consumers, which recommended improvement of the knowledge base about risks and accident data and systematic monitoring of the policies and measures of the Member States, has led the Commission to consider the issue of the safety of tourism accommodation services at European level in recent years, both by means of dialogue with relevant stakeholders and by undertaking action aimed at strengthening the existing knowledge base. For example, the Commission has supported debates concerning self-regulatory initiatives from the hospitality sector. Although certain legal requirements in respect of fire safety in tourism accommodation stem from the Constructions Products Directive and EU legislation on occupational safety, no specific horizontal legislation exists at EU level. Nor is there a standard approach in place at national level with regard to the safety of tourism accommodation services, as shown by a recent consultation with the Member States on the existing regulatory and non-regulatory framework regarding safety in tourism accommodation, amongst other sectors. Safety in tourism accommodation — and in the HORECA sector in general — is also an important part of health and safety at work. Furthermore, there is a well-established corpus of sector-specific legislation concerning building environments, lifts, and other products used in the construction sector. The existence of different approaches to safety regulations is not an issue per se, as long as the European consumer using this type of service across the EU is adequately protected irrespective of his or her choice of destination. Consumers expect to be able to purchase tourism accommodation services with confidence for their own safety regardless of their choice of accommodation or destination within the EU. In this context, and on the basic assumption that European consumers have a right to adequate levels of safety which are implemented and enforced effectively wherever they go within the EU, the Commission considers the following questions to be relevant: 1. How is consumer safety in the area of tourism accommodation regulated and monitored across Member States, where the various national legislation seems to be so